Loose-leaf binder.



G. H ROBINSON. LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED IAPR.28, 190s.

Patented m 19,1910.

I'IV EAITOI? v r I I rromvg s UNITED STATES PATENT ornron.

qsonen HEATH ROBINSON, on LoNno ENGLAND, assreNon To THE camera-enemaCOMPANY, LIMITED, or TORONTO, CANADA, 4 CORPORATION.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER. I

Specification of Letters Patent.- Patented July 19, 191() Applicationfiled epril 28, 190B. Serial R0. 429,594.

To a wh m i m y onc n:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn HEATH ROBINSON, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Crouch End, London,

England, have invented a certain new and l usetul Improvement inLoose-Leaf Binders,

of which ,the following is a full, clear, and

exact description, such 'as will enable vothers skilled in the art towhichit appertains to make and use the same:

, This invention relates broadly to devices known as temporary or looseleaf binders,-

but in ,a more intense aspect it proposes a selt-contained device hayinga series of posts rigidly rising from an inner face of a cover thereof,and so deyisedthat a plurality of loose leaves may/be accumulatedthereon,

and, when desired, be removeden bloc therefrom, while at-the same timedrawing a brndmg cord through the apertures in a manner enabling apermanentbinding to be obtained by a simple tying voperation.

This invention accordingly has in view,

" among other objects, a loose leaf binder which may be convenientlyused as a means for receiving and retaining an accumulation of sheets,and inwhich the free ends of one or more of the' fixed binding posts maybe releasably engaged with a removable cover, and in which certain ofsaid ends are also adapted for taking hold of a binding cord whereby itmay be properly drawn through the apertures when the sheets are removed.en bloc from said binder softhat the free" ends of the cordwill be in acondition for tying to permanently bind the sheets together. 1 i

- In general, the object of this invention is to devise a temporarybinder of the nature disclosed which, from the standpoint of practicalusage, will be possessed of a high degree of serviceabilityand ease ofop eration, and which,structurally considered, will be of the greatestpossible simplicity and strength, being composed of but few parts, allof which are so formed as to be: capable of being manufactured at a. low

cost.

Other parts will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpartpointed out hereinafter.

In order that this invention may -tr atin what similar .to' 1,

of accumulated? leavesfremoved e'n'f bloc cover and rise or e be the dmore readily understood, drawings illusone of the" many possible formsvt-hereo are appended as a part of ,this disclosure, ,and as will bereadily perceived by those skilled in the; art, other modified formswill be immediately apparent or easily deducible from this disclosure,and accord-' ingly are .to be regarded as being within the intendedscope of the annexed claims. In such drawings like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views of whichFigure lis a perspective view of a loose leaf binder embodying myinvention, the

parts being shown in their openedout re- 'ilation preparatory forjthreading a bindin cord through the free ends of theffixe posts of thebinder. Fi 1; 2 is a view'somehut showing the set from the binder, andillustrating as man- .Illi in 'Whichthe binding cord ';is handled by theabove named posts.

Continuing now by 'way of a more detailed descriptiom with suclioccasional refto'afclear comprehensionof this invention, A indicates asuitable holder for the leaves.

Each holder comprises an intermediate section or baclcl to thelongitudinal edges of which are hinged, or otherwise flexibly secured, apair of covers 2 and 3." It will, of course, be understood that "one ofthese covers may be regarded as the top cover, and the other as thebottom cover, as thecase may be,,and in accordance with good practicethese covers may and faced with good wearing material. On one ,of thesecovers, as forexalnple, from Y the'cover indicated by 3, I have arrangeda plurality of guides or binding posts, which posts are solid springtherefrom in 'alinement with and adjacent its line of hinge with theback 1 While I do not assign any particular number of post-s as beingabsolutely essential to the series'of posts contemplated by myinvention, it may nevertheless be observed that I ordinarily prefer touse three equispaced posts, as shown by the drawings; I have not onlyemployed these posts as a convenient meansfor receiving from tune totune and retaining together in bookj like form a plurality of sheets,but I 'have also so formed these fixed posts "that they-may, on the onehand", serve 'to detachably retain the opposite cover in place, and,

on the other hand, constitute a means ,;n-

and rigidly secured to such' .erence to the drawings as may be'conducivebemade relatively stitt To these. ends,

' mediate loop and then tie the ends'together' to form a neatly boundbundle of papers.

I' have provided the posts a with means for detachably engaging with andalso with. means the opposite cover,

eyeletsfor taking hold such as hooks and of the bindingcord and drawingthe same through the apertures in the leaves. 'Thus,

-the two end posts lia-11d 5 have their upper extremities provided withloo s "or eyelets- 6 andJZ, respectively,

and a so provided with; annular recesses or ,necks' 8' and 9, whosefunction is'to engage with'a digitally which preferably is "operatedinterlocking means on the opposite flap'or cover 2,. Theintermediatepost 10,

iQfrgimthe two-above-ment-ioned posts, also purposes. For this purpose,

rises rigidly fromfthe flap or cover 3, .and at its upper end provides ameans -..'grasping and releasing an intermediate for easily oring theupper extremity of the intermediate post '10 is preferably provided witha hook 11, which, as will be perceived, is not i only capable of easilytakmg hold ofa middle portlon of the bindtion of a cord'to-be employedfor'bin ing cord, but equally permits of an immeindicated by Fig. 2. I Bdenotes a. series diate disengagement ;wh'en such cord has been drawnthrou h into the relation shown by Fig. 2. It wi l,o'f course, beperceived thatin lieu of the closed eyelets 6 and 7 in the" end posts ofthe series, hooks or other retaining. 'exp'edients may be adopted,: but

from many aspectsthe eyelet is thebetter form, inasmuch as it isinherently strong and the'free ends-of the cord may be readily withdrawntherefrom when in the position of marginally apertured leaves which arefrom time to time built up or accumulated onthe above-mew tioned guidingor binding posts, prepara- -tory' to being finally removed en bloc inregistry. To facilitate this latter operation, I have devised'aregisteringdevice-which consists of an elongated bar 12 having apertures13,14 and 15 for receiving the posts 4, 10 and 5 respectively. Rigidlysecured to such apertured bar 12, way between each pair'of apertures, Ihave arrangedposts 16 and 17, which posts are adapted for beinginsertedintovthe corresponding apertures provided by the leaves of the set B forthe purpose of retaining the same in registry during removal. As will beseen, when this has been done, these posts pass through wholly, or in alarge part, through the set of leaves and form a registry insuringmeans, thereby promotin and facilitating the withdrawing of such Ieavesing the covers together arranged equi-distant place against withdrawal.

"and serviceable,

'ing cord, I have succeeded in preferably mid- 1 more of such endsthrough the middle loop,

which willhavebeen disengaged from the hook 11 on the middle post 10;

,To enable the binder to bemore conveniently used from day to day whenit is receivingits accumulation of leaves, I have deviseda simple meansof detachably holdthrough the instrumentalityof the end posts 4 and 5,This meansforms a gripping device D arrangedon the cover or flap 2. Thisdevice comprises an elongated plate 18 which is slidably mounted in suchcover, as by means of a top plate'19. An upturned element 20 of theelongated plate 18 protrudes at the end of the same, and provides afinger piece',thereby enabling, the elongated plate to bedigitallyipositioned to be en aged or disengaged, as the case may be,wit the bindingposts. This latter operation may be, accomplished throughthe enlarged head receiving apertures 21 having narrow slots '22extending therefrom in the sliding plate 18. The overlying plate willalso have an entering aperture 23. Now, the extremities of the bindingposts may be inserted through the apertures, 23 in the cover late, then.into theapertures 21 in the sllding plate18, andpby ldngitudinallytranslat- .lng such plate 18 by means of the finger grip 20, the neckwill enter the elongated slots which will securely hold the same inA-spring 24, may also be used as a means of retaining the sliding platein its locking position.

It will thus be erceived that I have devised a binder wel adapted toachieve the several objects and ends of my invention. The device as awhole is simple, compact and moreover, requires a minimum amount ofmanipulation or dexterity on the part of the operator. By using thesolid binding posts also as a means for threading the leaves togetherwith bind.- obtaining a very strong and efi'ective construction in aparticular which otherwise would be characterized by the essential andinherent structural weakness. v

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It isalso to be understood that the language used in'the a pair of covers, aplurality of posts rigidly secured to one of said covers, certain ofsaid posts having their free ends provided with means for temporarilyretaining a binding cord, a sliding member mounted in sai other coverhaving a pluralityof apertures of a binding bination, a holder having apalr 0 formed therein, the .cord retaining means of one'or more ofsaidposts being provided with portions adapted to engage a similar number ofapertures in said sliding member.

2. A loose-leaf binder comprising in combination, a cover, a pluralityof posts secured thereto and spaced apart along a margin thereof,certain of said posts being eyeleted to receive a binding cord, andanother post. being provided with a hooked end for temporarily retainingan intermediate portion cord adapted to be drawn throu h r orations in aseries of leaves assemble on said 'posts when said leaves are removed;

3. A loose-leaf binder comprising in comcomplementary top and bottomcovers, a back to which said covers are hinged, a spaced series ofbinding posts rigidly secured to one of said covers adjacent its hingeline, certain of the posts of said series having their free ends rovidedwith means for temporarily retaining a binding cord, another post ofsaid series havin its free end forming a hook for detacha ly en aginganintermediate portion of said inding cord, and means for interlockingthe other cover with one or more of the free ends of said posts.

4. A loose-leaf binder comprisin bination, a holder having a pair 0% topandbottom covers, a back to which said covers are hinged, a spacedseries of bindin posts rigidly secured to one of said covers a jacentits hinge line,- the outer posts of said series having their free endsprovidedwith eyelets adapted to receive a binding cord, an intermediatepost of said series having its free end forming a hook for detachablyngagin an intermediate portion ofsaid binding cor an elongated plateslidably mounted in said opposite cover adjacent the hinge line thereofand having one or more apertures, one or more of the posts of saidseries having necked heads adapted to interlock with said incomapertures, and means for digitally sliding said plate to engage. 0rdisengage said posts A therefrom.

5. A loose-leaf binder comprisingin combination, a holdenhaving a pairof complementary top and'lbottom covers, a back to which said covers'arehinged, a spaced series of binding posts rigidly secured to one of saidcovers adjacent its hinge line, certain of the posts of said, serieshaving their free ends provided with means for temporarily retaining abinding cord, another post of said series havingits free end forming ahook for detachably engaging an inter-.

mediate portion of said binding cord, and an elongated bar havingapertures adapted to receive certain of the posts of said series andprovided with one or more posts rigidly secured thereto and adapted tobe inserted in corresponding apertures in a set of sheets tomaintainthem in registry during removal from said binding posts.

6. A loose-leaf binder comprisin in combination, a holder having apairof complementary top and bottom covers, aback to which said coversare hinged, a spaced series of binding posts rigidly secured to one of isaid covers adjacent its hinge line, the outer posts of said serieshaving their free ends provided witheyelets adgpted to receive a indingcord,-an interm late post of said series having its free end in the formof a hook adapted to detachably engage an intermediate portion of saidbinding cord, and an elongated bar having a series of apertures forreceiving certain of the posts of said series and provided with one ormore posts rigidly secured thereto, and adapted to be inserted incorresponding apertures in a set of sheets to maintain them in registryduring removal from said binding posts.

7. A loose leaf bindercomprising, in combination, pair of covers, aplurality of posts rigidly secured to one of said covers certain of saidposts having their free ends v provided with means for temporarilyretaining a binding cord, and a sliding member mounted in said othercover and having a plurality of apertures formed therein, one

or more o said posts being provided with reduced portions adapted toengage the apertures in said sliding member, the reduced portion of eachpost being positioned between its extreme free end and its associatedcord-retaining means.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in the presence oftwo'witnesses.

' GEORGE HEATH ROBINSON.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 64,811,granted July19-, 1910, upon the applieation of George Heath .Robinson, of Londen,England,- for an 'improvementin Loose-Leaf Binders, an error appears inthe printed specification requiring Correction, es fol 10wsLPag e 1,line 49, 'the word partszshould read objects, and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this eerreetion therein that the samemayconform t0. the reeord of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of August, A.- D.,v19l0.

[SEAL F. A. TENNANT,

Acting ommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

